SCUTTLEBUTT 1358 - June 25, 2003

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GUEST EDITORIAL - Tom Ehman
With the Challenger of Record Management (CORM) office in Auckland closing
this week, the quiet competence and diligence of CORM President Dyer Jones
should not go unrecognized. Dyer was brought in to right the ship one year
ago. At that time, CORM was in disarray, and faced a potentially large
deficit. Chairman Luca Birindelli put Commodore Jones, who had successfully
run CORM's predecessor (ACCA) for the 2000 Cup, back in charge.

Dyer not only ran a very good Louis Vuitton Cup regatta despite challenging
conditions, but provided good value for sponsors and managed to return a
tidy surplus -- allowing challengers to recover their entry and other fees.
CORM has also made available to the Swiss organizers of the next event
valuable equipment and corporate knowledge, and has donated gear to the
benefit of New Zealand junior sailing programs.

Writing to the '03 challengers this week, Dyer said, "I am proud of [our
achievements.] It is the result of combined hard work by many people - to
find additional event sponsors/suppliers, and to cut event operating costs
wherever possible without sacrificing its quality." Not only did CORM
accomplish all this and more under Dyer's stewardship, but the prime
directive was also achieved -- a challenger won the Cup. - Tom Ehman,
Oracle BMW Racing

RESCUE ATTEMPT
Last Friday, the keel bulb fell off Tim Kent's Open 50, Everest Horizontal,
causing the boat to flip upside down 110 miles from Bermuda. While Kent and
his crew Rick McKenna were rescued in short order, the boat remains adrift.
Now, Kent's former competitors from the Around Alone Race are banding
together to try to recover the Open 50. These excerpts from a report from
Kent's 'Shore Crew' describe some of the activity:

Brad Van Liew of Tommy and Alan Paris of BTC Velocity are speaking
constantly to coordinate boats, divers, etc. The real missing link is an
airplane to fly overhead to pinpoint the location of Everest. Without that
exact location, the rescue vessel will be seeking the proverbial needle in
a haystack, which at the cost of over $700 an hour, does not fit into the
Everest Horizontal budget! The problem is that there are no registered
planes in Bermuda of the type appropriate for this mission. A plane would
have to come from elsewhere or happen to be a guest in Bermuda willing to
step up and help. This has not happened.

Brad Van Liew spoke to Bruce Schwab of Ocean Planet and Bruce was willing
to take Ocean Planet out to begin a recovery attempt and identify the exact
location of Everest. While Bruce is in his hometown of California, the boat
is still in Newport, and Bruce is willing to fly to Newport and begin the
mission immediately. Without the offer of a search plane, we will take the
offer of Ocean Planet, and Tim and Bruce will meet in Newport late Tuesday,
provision the boat, and head back to sea. Brad will meet them and arranged
for weather reports from Commander's Weather Service, which is helping to
coordinate the potential drift of the boat to further pinpoint a location.
- Everest Horizontal Shore Crew, http://www.everesthorizontal.com/

CARBON-FIBER ROPE??
Hall is known for our spectacular carbon-fiber work, but we're also experts
in high-tech running rigging (sorry, no carbon rope yet!). You can buy
custom running rigging on Hall's website - we've made selection easy with a
tidy chart under the "custom line lengths" link in our store. First, choose
the application (halyard, sheet, or control line) and then click your type
of sailing (racing, cruiser/racer, or cruising). Up pops a wide selection
of line recommended by Hall experts. We stock everything you see, and our
prices are as competitive as you are! http://www.hallspars.com/storefront

JOCHEN SCHUEMANN
(Sailing World editor John Burnham has done a long and comprehensive
interview with Jochen Schuemann, new member of the magazine's Hall of Fame.
Here's a brief excerpt.)

SW: What was the biggest reason for your Alinghi success that you've taken
away from the campaign?

Schuemann: For a short answer, obviously it's the people, the team, and
there's no doubt that the leader of the team, Ernesto Bertarelli, had a
big, big influence because he was such a perfect example of being a team
player. He set a lot of standards with his thinking and his enthusiasm, and
it was simple for me as sailing team manager; I never had a big argument
with my crews because I only had to point out Ernesto and say, "Hey, any
questions?" I think the leadership of Ernesto and also Russell was part of
that-working with a group of people with a lot competences from the 15
nations we were coming from, still giving everyone a lot of freedom to find
their way and their place to work in Alinghi. That's what made all of us
and finally Alinghi, successful. Having very good preparation with design
and sailing, and all of the other areas. I think we have been a really good
example. It's much more than when you usually use the phrase teamwork-it
was really teamwork.

SW: What's your job for the defense?

Schuemann: I will join the team in the same function, being the sailing
team manager, and also trying to be one of the sailors in the afterguard,
but that will be an open, in-house competition to find out who will be the
best team. So nobody is signed-and didn't sign last time--to [be
guaranteed] his seat on the race boat. That's not the way we think and we
do it. It's important to build again and maintain the spirit we have right
now, which probably won't be easy, because when you come from the winning
situation, in some ways you don't want to change the winning team-you know
the famous slogan-but at the same time you know you have to do even better
to win again. To find new momentum, because the old momentum will run out,
you have to find new incentives and ways to motivate everyone again on an
even higher level. What we did-it's no secret-the day after we arrived in
Geneva, we started talking to our team and we re-signed them, so we have a
big bunch of Alinghi team members staying with us again. They're obviously
proud staying with us, which is good for us. But we wanted to secure them
because every single member was part of and made that team what it was. We
want to go on with them.

SWEDISH MATCH TOUR
The 2003 Swedish Match Cup, June 30 - July 6, in Marstrand, Sweden, could
just as easily be called a "Regatta of Champions." In addition to crowning
the Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003 Champion at its conclusion, the event
boasts two former Swedish Match Tour champions and a five-time event winner
in its field of 16 skippers as part of its tenth anniversary celebration.

Joining the three skippers in the hunt for the Swedish Match Tour 2002/2003
crown, Jesper Radich of Denmark, currently the Swedish Match Tour Rankings
leader with 103 points, Dane Jes Gram-Hansen of Team Victory Lane with 88
points and Australia's James Spithill with 86 points, are former Swedish
Match Tour champions Magnus Holmberg of Sweden (2000/2001) and Peter
Holmberg of the US Virgin Islands (2001/2002).

ANALYSIS
We're not going to sit here in San Francisco - Sail Magazine's West Coast
outpost - and try to analyze the DaimlerChrysler transatlantic race weather
for fear that somebody like Zaraffa navigator Mark Rudiger might read it
and die laughing far from medical help. But simple figures tell a weather
story that might be robbing the biggest, fastest transatlantic racers of a
chance of catching up with the fleet that started a week ahead of them. At
a recent update, race leader Zaraffa,, 66 feet and a June 14 starter, had
achieved distance made good of 2,630 nautical miles at an average of 11.86
knots. Zephyrus V, 86 feet and a June 21 starter, had made 494 miles at an
average of 9.35 knots. - Sail magazine website, full story:
http://www.sailmagazine.com/news/NEWS/

FOR SALE
Pegasus 77, the ultimate Turbo Sled, winner of Transpac 2001, is for sale.
Launched in 2001, she is the very best in every aspect. Designed by
Reichel-Pugh as the next generation Turbo Sled, Pegasus 77 will be
available August 2003 right after Transpac. Details and photographs are at
http://www.pegasus.com/pegasus77

MORE MATCH RACING
Riva del Garda will host the 2003 ISAF World Match Race Championships, in
conjunction with the Italian Sailing Federation and ISAF. Twelve skippers
will be invited to the event, which will be held from 24-30 August 2003.

Invitations will initially be based on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings
released on 8 July 2003, from which the top nine skippers will be invited.
As well as these top nine, the two skippers from XXXI America's Cup (Dean
Barker and Russell Coutts), and the defending World Match Race Champion
(Karol Jablonski).

The event will be run as a traditional 12 team event, commencing on Tuesday
26 August after 2 days of weigh-in and practice with a double round robin
where each skipper will sail each other twice - producing a seeding for the
semi-final. This will see the top four race each other in a best of knock
out series before the grand final, which will again be a best of three
series match. The boats to be used at the Championship will be the Blu Sail
24 Sport - A developed version of the Blu Sail 24. With a huge open cockpit
giving plenty of space - the boats are perfect for the event.

SAILING SHORTS
* Slow and sultry summer conditions today slammed the 200-plus racers at
the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. Faced
with a glassy calm and no wind, boats and crews sat it out ashore for two
hours before the Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio sent the fleet to sea.
There were further delays before racing began in a southeasterly breeze
that built in strength to ten knots. Despite the difficult conditions, the
boats in the Red Fleet, including the IMS big boats, Farr 40s and 12-Meters
succeeded in sailing two races. - Reports, results and photos:
http://www.blockislandraceweek.com/

* The Gulf Yachting Association 2003 Offshore Challenge Cup was won by
New Orleans Yacht Club (Team Captain Ward Pitard). This was a three day
event, racing PHRF where every club in the GYA is invited to bring their
best PHRF boats for each of four different rating band classes. Finishing
second was Fairhope Yacht Club and third was Pontchartrain Yacht Club.
Defending Champion Southern Yacht Club finished fourth. www.noyc.org

* Twenty five 505s traveled from places as far as Florida and Canada to
compete in the 2003 East Coast Championships at the West River Sailing Club
in Galesville, Maryland. Nine races were completed. Wind and sea conditions
spanned the full spectrum from 22-26 knots for races two and three to 3-5
knots for the tail end of race nine. Ali Meller and his Jesse Falsone won
with 19 points. Past two time 505 ECC winner Tim Collins and Bill Smith
were tied for second with Floridians Ethan Bixby and Eric Booth with 20
points.
http://www.sailingsource.com/wrsc/2003_race_results/wrsc121.html

"GUARDIAN STAR" WINS TOBAGO RACE WEEK
For five consecutive years, Ullman Sails has been the chosen sailmaker by
the winners of Tobago Race Week. This year was no different. Paul Amon, Tim
Kimpton and Peter Knox, the owners of "Guardian Star", a Beneteau 10 Meter,
chose Ullman Sails to propel them to victory at this year's Tobago Race
Week. Continuing her winning trend "Guardian Star" went on to take 1st
Place in the Barbados Mount Gay Boat Yard Regatta. Let Ullman Sails propel
you to victory! Call your local Ullman Sails loft or visit us on line at
http://www.ullmansails.com

U.S. YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
Early morning thunderstorms caused a short postponement ashore before
giving way to a "honking southerly." The winds built from 12 to 14 knots by
the first race that started just after 11 a.m. PRO John Archibald switched
the starting order and courses today. Club 420s started first and sailed
the outer loop trapezoid while the Lasers sailed the inner loop. The winds
started due south. The RC Team reacted to a slow but persistent left shift,
adjusting the course for each race. The winds built to 15 knots for the
second race, then gradually died to 10 by the end of the third and final
race of the day. The three- to four-foot seas with heavy chop made for
excellent planning conditions.

Emery Wager (Seattle, WA) showed the Laser fleet how to sail today with
three bullets. Each one was a bigger horizon job than the last. Emery
showed great speed by passing boats both upwind and down. Dropping his
worst race, Emery has six points in seven races. In the 54-boat 420 fleet,
Leigh Kempton (Island Heights, NJ) and Kaitlin Storck (Huntington, NY) had
a perfect score today - three aces. They won the second race by nearly a
minute. But, San Diego sailors Zach Brown and Melanie Roberts remain in
first place with 17 total points to Kempton and Storck's 20 points. - Lee
Parks, http://www.ussailing.org/

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com)
(Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be
edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room or a
bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best
shot and don't whine if others disagree.)

* From Chuck Taylor (edited to our 250-word limit): It was a special
moment for me two weeks ago when I saw the Australian C Class challenger
sail past on the Swan River. It was a beautiful and elegant sight. From the
time Aquarius V took the Cup from Miss Nylex, I have had great pleasure
following The Little America's Cup, Victoria 150, The Patient Ladies, The
Edge and Cogito. These cat have always been the ultimate sailing machines.
America and Australia have been the two forces in the LAC for the last 25
years. I don't know what Sea Cliff were thinking when they sent back the
Australian challenge, but I would trade a hundred one design regattas to
see a thoroughbred racer like this sailing.

I admire the people who as the say here "have a go." Designing and building
a C-Class catamaran must be the most technically difficult thing there is
in the world of sailing and Sea Cliff have made it more difficult by taking
away the trophy and name. We should be trying support innovation and
creativity.

As an American living in Australia I can assure you this has not helped the
reputation of our nation. Australia is one of Uncle Sam's great friends, in
WWII, Vietnam and now the Gulf the Aussies have been there beside us. So
why did we treat our friends this way? I would hope that we could find a
way to put things right. Maybe someone could donate a new trophy and call
it the Little America's Cup.

* From Steve Greene: With regards to the ISAF youth multihull search, I'm
mixed. The fact that multihull sailing is being given this attention is
cause for celebration. However, I am rather disappointed that the class
search is being limited to catamarans. What about trimarans! Last fall, I
contacted the ISAF for clarification as to whether or not trimarans would
be equally considered in the search. The response was simply "No", with the
explanation that since ISAF youth sailing is geared toward preparing young
people toward Olympic classes, and since the Tornado catamaran is the
Olympic multihull boat of choice right now, that entertaining the idea of a
trimaran just wasn't considered a viable direction. This said, the ISAF
contact person ended his correspondence saying, however, that he personally
preferred trimaran sailing.

If the ISAF is looking for a new youth multihull, and there happens to be a
trimaran design that meets all their criteria, why not consider it? And why
not consider really shaking up the sailing world by introducing a trimaran
as an Olympic class someday! Trimarans are inherently more stable than
catamarans, can carry a diverse sail plan including a gennaker, are very
fast, tack easier than cats, can have traps, and are very fun to sail.

* From Ed Price: I was surprised not to see Dick Carter listed as in the
Hall of Fame. Certainly his fin keel designs starting with Rabbit took off
shore racing one major step forward.

* From Dan Alpern: In regards to the question from Denis Farley about
racers unfamiliar with the new rule revisions. I cringe every time I hear
an "old-timer" making the "mast-abeam" call and trying to enforce a right
of way that does not exist! It's too bad that the only requirement to be on
the race course is membership in a club and a boat. I would hope that
someday a rules test or proof of familiarity with the current version of
the rules would be required before accepting race entries!

* From TWJ Thornton: Having followed the threads about Youth Sailing
lately, I would like to suggest that everyone checks out the websites for
the event. If there is any proof needed that the youth sailors of today are
indeed the stars of tomorrow, that they love the sport and they thrive on
the companionship of those they will sail and compete against for the rest
of their lives, the photos and the interviews (especially the interviews)
will assure all. I have been in fits of laughter at their answers to
offbeat questions. Especially the one when asked of his most embarrassing
moment so far answered, "when I got the spinnaker pole in my mouth."
Websites: www.ussailing.org/youthchampwww.harken.com

CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM
Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a
substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?